Centurion here I come.....

[Homer]

Agree I meant AND ....

You can do better. Just take advantage of the status match and get DJ Plat from your MCP Diamond card. I did last Saturday at The Lounge in SYD. Here’s a pic of my temporary Velocity Platinum card and luggage tag that were issued on the spot in the lounge.

 

[Ricardo]

You can do better. Just take advantage of the status match and get DJ Plat from your MCP Diamond card. I did last Saturday at The Lounge in SYD. Here’s a pic of my temporary Velocity Platinum card and luggage tag that were issued on the spot in the lounge.

View attachment 3631

And what fine looking cards they are, and legs :mrgreen:

I guess we all need to find what works for our own situation when it comes to Cent membership and costs....

 

[fiBer]

Does Amex only consider those for centurion who have a "high" spend on strictly the Plat Charge Card? I.e. the Qantas Ultimate Amex would not be eligible?

 

[sparoz]

Well you can thrown out the theory that what you spend your money on makes any difference to whether you get an offer or not.

I just got the black envelope this afternoon. I have been an Amex member for a whole 13 months and in that time I have spent about $260,000 on the plat charge and another $55,000 on the plat CC you get for free with it.

However, no more than about $20,000 of that $315,000 was on anything that you could describe as luxury spending - some international airfares, hotels and resorts and the damage done by my wife's raid on the Fendi boutique in SIN. Almost all of the rest was obvious business spending - ATO tax payments and various professional items and services.

I think I will give them a ring and see how they can sell the extra $3400 over the plat charge as being worthwhile.

The latest round seems to suggest high spend in total regardless of type of spend, plus some international travel and discretionary spending. Just got my summary for the year, and the discretionary spend is certainly not as high as some had suggested, but those are definitely spend at the right places. I do spend a lot with Amex though with all my cards including plat business cards.

Extra points pays for the card for me. As I always try to avoid QF and the fact that I have got more QFF points than what I can use from my Visa, I don't have much utility for the Ultimate - i.e. going Cent was the best option without me trying to dance around to maximise my points - if only there is an Asiamiles card I can get. .

You can do better. Just take advantage of the status match and get DJ Plat from your MCP Diamond card. I did last Saturday at The Lounge in SYD. Here’s a pic of my temporary Velocity Platinum card and luggage tag that were issued on the spot in the lounge.

Do you have to requalify each year for the DJ card? It is a bit pointless for me as I haven't paid for a ticket for a while - and hence no status in any FF program. The only useful places for the CX diamond would be for routes that hasn't got F seats.

Does Amex only consider those for centurion who have a "high" spend on strictly the Plat Charge Card? I.e. the Qantas Ultimate Amex would not be eligible?

As far as I know, they will consider all Amex Charge Cards, not credit cards or branded credit cards.

 

[Stephen65]

As far as I know, they will consider all Amex Charge Cards, not credit cards or branded credit cards.

That's my understanding based on what I have seen posted by Centurion holders on various fora. So you can go from green charge --> centurion but not from credit card --> centurion.

Speaking of the green charge, I was reading that while the extra cards that come linked to your Centurion account are by default plat charges if you wish you can opt for gold or green charge cards to keep a low profile. Is this true?

 

[Jane-Doe]

if you wish you can opt for gold or green charge cards if you wish to keep a low profile. Is this true?

That's a very useful option. I think I may follow up. I have never had a green card.

 

[sparoz]

That's my understanding based on what I have seen posted by Centurion holders on various fora. So you can go from green charge --> centurion but not from credit card --> centurion.

Speaking of the green charge, I was reading that while the extra cards that come linked to your Centurion account are by default plat charges if you wish you can opt for gold or green charge cards if you wish to keep a low profile. Is this true?

As far as I know you can select whatever card you like for the additional card, but I am not sure about the supplementaries. My take on it is the places you need a low profile don't recognise the card, and the places that do you want them to know to have better service.

 

[Stephen65]

I like the idea of having an extra green card that is actually a stealth-Centurion card: it gives one a sort of reverse-prestige

 

[Ricardo]

I like the idea of having an extra green card that is actually a stealth-Centurion card: it gives one a sort of reverse-prestige

Very well put, I think I too would opt for that kind of option when it was required :mrgreen:

 

[JOC469]

I've been waiting for an invite for the last 4 months, and it has finally arrived! Now that I am holding it in my hand I have to say that I am very underwhelmed (mostly on the presentation)

 

[Stephen65]

Having heard all the stories about the extravagant invitations the standard black envelope and rather bland brochure I got was a disappointment. Not anything more impressive than the brochures the CBA sends me. You'd think they could spend a little more on the invite if they want you to invest $4300 pa.

 

[sparoz]

Having heard all the stories about the extravagant invitations the standard black envelope and rather bland brochure I got was a disappointment. Not anything more impressive than the brochures the CBA sends me. You'd think they could spend a little more on the invite if they want you to invest $4300 pa.

It is certainly a bit of an anti-climax considering they gave me a bottle of Krug for signing up an extra Plat Business a few years ago.

 

[Homer]

From everything I’m hearing, Amex seems to be going on a membership drive. The entry requirements seem to have been lowered; the packaging, which used to be pretty impressive with a large black box delivered via Courier and your two cards already inside with your name on them, has been simplified/cheapened. It would be nice to think that with more members presumably spread across similar resources they would be in a position to reduce the annual fee...but of course that won’t happen.

 

[haydensydney]

From everything I’m hearing, Amex seems to be going on a membership drive. The entry requirements seem to have been lowered; the packaging, which used to be pretty impressive with a large black box delivered via Courier and your two cards already inside with your name on them, has been simplified/cheapened. It would be nice to think that with more members presumably spread across similar resources they would be in a position to reduce the annual fee...but of course that won’t happen.

I hear ya Homer. Obviously doesn't have the appeal and gleen it once had with that "exclusive club" feel.

Amex must be on a drive to increase $ and therefore have lowered the acceptance criteria. Our Centurion is up for renewal in October - and my partner and I are again having the conversation re: if it's really worth it the huge fee: year by year, the value proposition gets worse and worse. The exclusitivity of the card was (though many don't like to admit) the biggest selling point, but now if we don't have that - what do we have?

 

[russ]

It's still exclusive.

It's just that the exclusivity used to be driven by lack of invitations, but now it's driven by lack of acceptances!

 

[Homer]

Our Centurion is up for renewal in October - and my partner and I are again having the conversation re: if it's really worth it the huge fee: year by year, the value proposition gets worse and worse. The exclusitivity of the card was (though many don't like to admit) the biggest selling point, but now if we don't have that - what do we have?

Yep. Mine is up in November and I think about it most years. I wouldn’t say the exclusivity is the most important thing for me, but it’s definitely up there. If we’re going to pay ~$4,300 or whatever it is then what better cards can we get for our money?

 

[Jane-Doe]

Yep. Mine is up in November and I think about it most years. I wouldn’t say the exclusivity is the most important thing for me, but it’s definitely up there. If we’re going to pay ~$4,300 or whatever it is then what better cards can we get for our money?

I have significant travel booked after the next renewal date, and the Insurance included with Centurion is mega. So this year, I will renew.

The following year Centurion's benefits have to improve or I will drop back to my former, happy platinum charge card status. It is very easy to justify $900 per year against platinum's benefits.

 

[serfty]

... The exclusitivity of the card was (though many don't like to admit) the biggest selling point, but now if we don't have that - what do we have?

A platinum charge card with "knobs on it"?

 

[k3nnis]

Is the insurance cover for centurion and plat charge the same?

I have significant travel booked after the next renewal date, and the Insurance included with Centurion is mega. So this year, I will renew.

The following year Centurion's benefits have to improve or I will drop back to my former, happy platinum charge card status. It is very easy to justify $900 per year against platinum's benefits.

 

[Homer]

Is the insurance cover for centurion and plat charge the same?

No, the limits and benefits on Centurion are essentially doubled, with a few exceptions.